


Hoops

by vanillacoconuts



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And all their friends, Australia Day, Australian SanSan, Birthday fic for Bex!, Everybody is alive and happy, F/M, Fluff, Making bets, Music, One-Shot, Sansa is very determined, Triple J's Hottest 100, all the starks - Freeform, also my attempt at a bit of humour, little itty bit of sadness with a mention of Sandor's childhood, pool parties and BBQs and laughter and love, shirtless Sandor in the sun is very important, you will understand the title once you read the fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-05-16 09:38:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5823640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanillacoconuts/pseuds/vanillacoconuts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s Australia Day and every year Sansa’s parents throw a party to celebrate. In the summer heat all the Stark’s and their friends get together and enjoy good food, drinks, and each other’s company. For Sansa, this year is different. It’s the first time she will be spending Australia day with Sandor by her side. Sandor is not big on crowds but throughout the day he becomes more and more comfortable with all these people who are in his life now. There is laughter, there is great music, there is a pool to cool down from the hot sun, and there is competition. The radio station Triple J counts down from 100 to 1 to find out what the hottest song of the year was. Sandor and Sansa make a bet on what tune will win, much to the enjoyment of all the guests.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hoops

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bex_xo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bex_xo/gifts).



> HAPPY (LATE) BIRTHDAY BEX! You requested Australia and I delivered with the most Australian thing I could think of. And thankyou to Jil for beta-ing this and helping me with it! :)
> 
> If you’re not from Australia, you might not be familiar with the Triple J Hottest 100, but it is a nation-wide radio event that goes to air each year on Australia Day (26th of January), counting down the Top 100 songs of the previous year, as voted by the public. It is the largest public-voted music poll in the world, with more than two million people casting their votes in this year’s poll and has record numbers of people turning in to listen to the broadcast live (to the point where Australia Day is jokingly referred to as Hottest 100 Day by a lot of people). 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

[Picset here! :)](http://vanillacoconuts.tumblr.com/post/138081040178/hoops-bex-paperflowercrowns-requested)

 

 

-

 

 

She has the heat of the summer sun warm on her exposed skin, the taste of pear cider on her lips, the smell of the food from the barbie wafting through the air mixing with the scent of chlorine. Sansa can hear the sounds of water splashing, laughter and music drifting all around her as she sits outside by the pool of her parents’ house. It’s Australia Day, and every year her parents throw a party to celebrate. There is always her dad standing at the barbeque with her Uncle Benjen at his side while they drink their beers. Her mum will be in the kitchen with Hotpie putting together delicious salads and desserts. Everyone will have spent some time in the water, cooling down from the summer heat. The younger ones, Rickon, Bran, Jojen and a few others, spend almost the whole day in there, only getting out for food and bathroom breaks. And every year they listen to Triple J’s hottest 100 countdown, waiting to hear what the hottest song of the year was. The day is always the same every year, but Sansa doesn’t care; she loves it, never finds it boring as it’s the people that make it entertaining, the people that she loves spending the day with. And this year there is someone else here who makes it even better.

 

Her boyfriend Sandor sits by her side while their feet dangle in the cool refreshing water. He is shirtless, wearing nothing but his black bathers. The sunlight glistens of his muscled body from the pool water, making his tanned skin shine. His long black hair falls slightly down past his shoulders, water dripping off the ends and sliding down his body towards his shorts. Sandor has been in her life for over a year now, having been a couple for eleven months now. He didn’t spend this day with her last year, so this is the first time he’s come to her family’s party. By the way the corners of his lips are turned up into a slight smile, the way he is engaging in conversation and laughing with others around him, Sansa can tell he is enjoying himself. The realisation makes her happy, as Sandor was so nervous this morning on their drive over here. He spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve with her, but Christmas it was only her family and relatives, and New Years it was just the two of them. Today, however, there are many more people than Sandor is used to; it is not only her family, but all their friends as well. They are Sandor’s friends too, but with so many people around, she can tell he feels even more self-conscious about his scars.

 

When they first arrived she could see how uncomfortable Sandor was by how tense and stiff his stance was. Before they walked through the door, Sansa had put a hand on his chest and assured him that _Everything is going to be okay, you know all of these people._ Sandor had scrunched up his face and looked up towards to the sky, turning his scars away from her view. _I know, but there’re just so many people here. You know how I hate crowds._ Giving him a kiss Sansa had told him that at any point he wanted to leave, they would, but he at least had to come in and give it a go. Now though, he sits comfortably at the edge of the pool with his hand in hers, his thumb running circles over her palm, as they discuss with Bronn and Robb what song is going to be the hottest of 2015. 

 

“ _7 Years_ by Lukas Graham is definitely goin’ to be up there in the top ten. Definitely.”

 

Sansa lifts up her foot from the water, sending water over her brother. “Seriously Robb, do you even listen to Triple J? That song doesn’t even play on the station.”

 

“Well it should,” comes a mumbled reply as he takes another sip of his VB.

 

“I’ll tell you what tune is going to win, Tame Impala’s song _The Less I Know The Better_. No doubt about it. It’s always-“ Sansa’s words are cut off from a loud snort coming from Sandor. “What?”

 

“Nothin’,” he says with a small grin forming on his lips, his storm grey eyes lit up with amusement.

 

Sansa narrows her eyes at him as she hears Bronn let out an _oooohh._ Sandor puts his hand in the water to splash Bronn, not that Bronn cares getting wet in this heat, he doesn’t even bother wiping the droplets of water from his face.

 

“Well, what do you _think_ will win, Mister? Hmm?”

 

Sandor shrugs his shoulders as he casually replies with “ _Lean On_ by Major Lazer.”

 

Sansa lets out a loud laugh at that. Sandor is wrong, and she tells him so as she gets up to go get another drink. Sansa doesn’t drive that often, so most of the time that she spends on the road is with Sandor in his Ute, which is when they listen to the radio. Sandor always lets her chose the station they listen to, and every time she will put it onto Triple J. It’s her favourite station; it doesn’t play pop or country or heavy metal, all the stuff she is not a fan of. It plays a lot of alternative, songs that are easy to relax to and don’t get overplayed.

 

After a couple months into their relationship Sansa would get into Sandor’s Ute and the radio would have already been switched to Triple J. She knows he likes to listen to stations that play rock and metal and punk. She found a pile of his old CD’s from his teen years once and it was a lot of ACDC and Black Sabbath and other bands she doesn’t listen to. It made her heart soar the first time she got into the car and the radio was already on her favourite station, it was just one of those little things that Sandor does to show his love for her. She had leaned over the console to give him a kiss on the cheek which had resulted him giving her a confused look but he accepted it anyway.

 

Since she listens to Triple J often, she _knows_ that _The Less I Know The Better_ is going to win, knows how popular it is and how good of a tune it is. And that’s also how she knows Sandor’s song will _not_ be number one. He’s right that it is popular, and will more than likely be in the top ten, but not number one. No. Her one will be the hottest. She’s positive.

 

Making her way through the crowd of people in the backyard, heading towards the deck to get another cider, she passes Brienne, Jaime and Shireen as they watch Rickon dance silly moves to _Deception Bay_ by Boo Seeka, song number fifty of the hottest 100. She lets out a giggle at her younger brother and walks towards the house. Sitting on the steps leading to the deck is her sister and her boyfriend, Gendry. As she walks around them she hears them arguing on what songs they will think will win. _They are so wrong, both of them_ , she thinks to herself when she hears the two songs they mention.

 

-

 

Sandor chuckles to himself as Sansa walks off telling him he has no idea what he’s talking about. He watches her walk away, enjoying the view of her black and blue bikini, her wavy auburn hair flowing down her back. As he keeps his eyes on Sansa, he hears Robb whisper to Bronn _Better hope she wins or she might start a blue._

“You got yourself a determined one there, Sandor,” his mate Bronn tells him as he nudges his side.

 

“Bloody oath I do, she’s not stopped talkin’ about it for weeks.”

 

It’s true, ever since the beginning of January she has been talking about the hottest 100 and how she knows what song will win. Only the thing is; she is wrong. Sure her tune will be in the top ten, no doubt about that. But the truth is, he actually listens to Triple J more than she does now. He’s in the car more often for his work as a builder, always driving to the different sites he is assigned to. He used to listen to stations that play metal and rock before he met Sansa.  But then _she_ entered his life one day, or rather, he entered hers when he walked into her apartment to install a new kitchen for her and was instantly captivated by her ocean blue eyes and sweet smile. From the very first she rode in his car with him, he has let her pick the station. He had listened to Triple J from time to time, but not for very long. Having Sansa in his car meant that he listened to it more often though and the more he listened, the more he liked. Eventually it became the main station he listened to. He likes the way it plays a variety of alternative music, even sometimes playing some rock and punk bands. He also likes the way it doesn’t play all that modern bullshit like Justin what’s-his-face or Miley Cyrup?..Cruze?..Whatever the fuck it is. He’s not into that. No way. That’s why he likes, _loves_ , Triple J. He knows she thinks she listens to it more, thinks he changes the station over for her to show her how much he loves her. While that is true, he does love her, is _in love_ with her, but he also fucking loves the shit out of this station. So that’s why he knows what song will be number one.

 

When Sansa arrives back to him, she passes him another amber fluid and sits down again. “Alright,” she says to him, “since you think you know what song is going to win, let’s make a bet?” They always make bets, even over the smallest things, so Sansa asking him to make a bet over this is no surprise. Sandor agrees to it and Sansa smirks in reply. “If I my song wins, _which it will_ , then you have to sing _The Less I Know The Better_ in front of all of us.” Fuck. He doesn’t sing. He hates singing.

 

“Fine, but if you lose, if my song beats yours, not necessarily number one, but just beats yours on the list, then you have to-“

 

“Let me guess, I have to say yes to whatever silly question you ask me?”

 

“You got it baby,” he says with a wink. It’s the same thing he does every bet, she has to say yes. One time he asked her to say yes to go skinny dipping with him, she didn’t want to at first, but then when she saw him take of his shirt and pull down his pants, briefs along with it, she decided that maybe it wasn’t such as bad idea after all. Together they had run buck naked down to the river.

 

As the arvo progresses on, with food, drinks and more laughter, the Triple J countdown keeps on playing the hottest tunes, slowly making its way down the list to number one. It is down to number twenty one, _Magnolia_ by Gang of Youths when the sun is so hot in the sky that nearly everyone is either in the shade or in the water trying to cool down. The younger ones are playing games of marco polo, tag, and seeing who could hold their breath the longest. Sandor watches as everyone around him smiles and laughs and enjoys themselves. Seeing all of them together and happy, especially the younger ones, makes him realise how much of a childhood he missed out on. With the scars he received as a child he was neglected by many people, always turning away from the ‘ _hideous child’_ as someone once called him.

 

But now, here, with Sansa and her family and all their friends, he feels welcomed, he feels wanted, no longer an outcast. He’s in conversation with their mate Renly and Sansa’s cousin Jon, discussing the latest football game. He’s never had friends like these, people who he can just sit down and talk about anything with. Growing up he was always moving place to place in foster homes, making a couple friendships along the way but none never lasted, not until he finally decided to settle down once he made a good amount of money from his job. Sandor works with Bronn, through whom he met Sansa because of Bronn’s girlfriend, Margie. It was Margie who set Sandor up on Sansa’s kitchen job. And he’s never been so fucking grateful for anyone, because if Sandor had never walked through the door of Sansa’s apartment, he wouldn’t be here, surrounded by friends, and wouldn’t be here with the woman he’s so in love with. 

 

“DAMMIT!”

 

The yelling comes from across the pool where he sees Gendry throwing his arms up in the air while Arya sits there in a fit of giggles. “I thought it would be higher!” Sandor is confused at what Gendry is talking about until he recognises the song playing as the one that Gendry had voted for, playing at number twelve, _You Were Right_ by Rufus. Sandor and the rest of the guests all chuckle at the scene.

 

Sansa swims away from where she was with Margie and Benjen over to where he is resting against the side of the pool, the water coming up to the middle of his chest. He turns around to pull himself up onto the edge so when she is close enough he reaches out, pulls her up out of the water and she sits on his lap, close against his side. He wraps his arms around her middle, enjoying the feeling of skin touching his. Her arms automatically go around his neck when he leans in for a kiss. He was never one for displaying his affection in public but now he doesn’t care, will gladly show the world who he has in his arms. When she pulls away he sees her biting her lip before she leans in again, this time to his ear and not his mouth.

 

“ _You Were Right_. Ha, more like you were wrong, Gendry.”

 

Sandor lets out a loud sigh that almost sounds like a groan “You’re still going on about that? Damn Little Bird,” he ends his words in a chuckle, still not believing how determined and persistent she is.

 

“Yep,” Sansa says with a nod of her head. “And I hope you are ready to lose the bet. Better start warming up your vocal chords, Sandor. I think you should stand on the deck when you sing so everyone can see you and- what are you doing? SANDOR!” Sansa lets out a little squeal as Sandor peels her arms from around him and dumps her into the pool. All those around them start to laugh and Arya even cheers him on. There is a splash of water to his face as Sansa surfaces the pool. He chuckles while smirking at her and she has an unimpressed expression on her face until he winks at her. She slowly lets a small grin spread across her lips as he helps her back out of the water.

 

-

 

The large glass double doors between the lounge room and the deck have been opened, creating a large space for all of them to sit out of the sun that has just gotten too bright and hot to be outside in. It’s nice and cool under the shade so everyone sits around comfortably still keeping their conversations going. With so many here there is always something to talk about, something different with each person.

 

Song number five of the countdown has just ended and she believes that number four will be Sandor’s song, if not then maybe number three or two. Definitely not number one though. Hers is the hottest. However, as soon as she hears the start of the song, she lets out a loud “NO!”

 

It’s Tame Impala! _WHAT!?_ _I was so sure!_ Nobody even has to ask what her problem is, for those of them that don’t know the tune of the song, they can easily tell what’s wrong by the way she is glaring at the radio that sits on the kitchen bench. That and also by the way Sandor is sitting on the couch holding his stomach, struggling to breathe he’s laughing that hard.

 

“Holy fuckin’ shit, I won!” Sandor manages to get the words out between his laughter.

 

“On ya, Sandor,” Bronn says to him while also doubling over with laughter.

 

“Not yet you don’t. Your song hasn’t played yet.” She knows it will though. _How did he know though?_ “I thought I listened more than you did?” Sansa lets the question blurt out of her mouth, her curiosity getting the better of her.

 

Sandor tells her of how eventually he just let the station stay on Triple J because he started to like it that much. After he tells her, the upset feeling that had gathered in her tummy gets replaced by a warmer, happier feeling with the knowledge that it was her who got him in to the station, just another thing that they have shared with one another. 

 

“By the way Sansa, I have won now.”

 

It is then that Sansa realises that song three, _Lean On_ , has already started playing. And Sansa can’t even find it in herself to be mad at him about it. He won fair and square.

 

The second hottest song starts playing eventually, it’s Kendrick Lamar’s _King Kunta_ , and everyone is quiet as they listen to it, getting ready to hear the hottest tune of 2015. When it starts Sansa recognises it as _Hoops_ by The Rubens. She likes this song, so even though she is still a tiny bit annoyed _The Less I Know The Better_ wasn’t the winner, she’s still happy with this one. 

 

“HA!”

 

Everyone jumps at the sound, they all turn their heads in the direction of where it came from. Sitting in one of the deck chairs outside is her old man, Ned. He’s got a big grin on his face while Catelyn sits on his lap shaking her head while silently giggling. Benjen and Meera are also out there with him, both of them laughing loudly.

 

“What’s so funny?” Rickon asks while staring at them all with a confused look on his face.

 

“This song, oh my god, your dad guessed this song a few weeks ago to be the winner,” Meera answers him, then she turns to Sandor and Sansa, “Oh god, you two should see your faces, that’s hilarious.”

 

Sansa turns to look at Sandor just as he looks at her too. They mirror each other’s expression; confusing and astonishment. “How the bloody fuck did you guess that?”

 

Ned shrugs to Sandor in reply as he says “I listened to the radio station. Once.” Everyone laughs in response until Sandor stands up.

 

“You know what you have to do, Little Bird.”

 

Sansa crosses her arms over her chest and looks up at Sandor, “Alright, alright, what do I have to say yes to this time, big man?” Sandor chuckles at her and then everyone, especially Sansa, lets out a big gasp.

 

Sandor drops to the floor on one knee as Bronn chucks a small box to him with a wink.

 

“Sansa, I-“

 

“Wait!”

 

“What? Do you want me to stop?”

 

“What, no! I just wanted to let you know you that you didn’t have to win a bet to have me say yes.”

 

“You haven’t even let me ask my question.”

 

“Right, sorry. Go ahead.”

 

Sansa can hear little chuckles and giggles at their nervous, breathless exchange. Sandor scoots closer to her on his knee and grabs her hand. “Baby, forget all bets. Will you marry me?” He asks the question as he opens the velvet box to reveal a silver band with small blue diamonds on either side of a pearl placed on the centre. It’s beautiful and perfect!

 

Sansa flings herself at Sandor and wraps her arms around his neck as she says _Yes, yes, yes and yes!_ There is cheering and clapping from all around them and everyone comes over to congratulate them. This was not what she was expecting from the bet they made; he only ever asks her silly and funny questions, but this is serious, this is wonderful, and she couldn’t be happier. Out of all the Australia Day celebrations they have had each year, this one it by far the best. And with Sandor in her life she knows she is going to have many more wonderful days ahead of her. Ahead of _them._

 

“Happy Australia Day, Little Bird.” Sandor says later that night when they are back at her apartment, where he also lives now too.

 

Between kisses Sansa replies, “Happy Australia Day, my love, my fiancé.”

 

 

-

 

 

Links to all the songs mentioned if you want to listen to them:

 

[Song One (Ned) - ‘Hoops’ by The Rubens](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFBe_wP2_gw)

  
[ Song Two - ‘King Kunta’ by Kendrick Lamar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRK7PVJFbS8)

  
[ Song Three (Sandor) - ‘Lean On’ by Major Lazer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn9AQoI7mYU)

  
[ Song Four (Sansa) - ‘The Less I Know The Better’ by Tame Impala](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBzrzS1Ag_g)

  
[ Song Twelve (Gendry) - ‘You Were Right’ by Rufus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp-lWgUDcKk)

  
[ Song Twenty One - ‘Magnolia’ by Gang of Youths](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJzLc8Cj-AY)

  
[Song Fifty (the one Rickon was dancing to) - ‘Deception Bay’ by Boo Seeka](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXMs65SCFg8)

  
[The song that Robb wanted to win - ‘7 Years’ by Lukas Graham](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHCob76kigA)

**Author's Note:**

> Australian terms and their meanings:   
> Amber fluid: alcohol  
> Arvo: afternoon  
> Barbie: barbeque   
> Bloody oath: an expression to emphasise the intensity of one’s opinion. To declare honesty  
> Blue (“start a blue”): fight/argument  
> Chucks (Bronn “chucks” Sandor the box): throwing something   
> Mate: friend  
> Old man: dad, father, not calling him old but it’s just another way of saying dad here in Australia  
> On ya: good on you, well done  
> Ute: utility vehicle, pickup truck  
> VB: Victorian Bitter (alcohol)
> 
> Ned’s got some goooood guessing skills. Or probably just guessed the song that played that one time he listened to Triple J. HAHA! 
> 
> Also, I have no problem with Justin or Miley personally (I mean I don’t listen to them but whatever), so I wasn’t attacking them or trying to offend anyone who likes them. But come on. This is Sandor we are talking about here. Do you really think he would listen to them?
> 
> ANYWAY I HOPE YOU LIKED IT! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN BEX (for back in October, haha!)


End file.
